Valve mechanism for internal combustion engines



May 3, 1932. J. a. SCHOTTHOEFER VALVE MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Aug. 1, 1951' INVENTOR.

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Patented May 3,

J OSEPH Gr. SCHOTTHOEFER, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS VALVE MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Application filed August 1, 1931." Serial No. 54,576.

The valve mechanism to which this invention relates includes a reciprocating valve stem provided at one end with a port closing member or valve proper, hereinafter termed i" valve, and at its opposite end with a head of special construction and utility',to which it isreleasably connected and which is adapted to be engaged by the cam actuatedvalve tappet, and a spring operated to hold the valve yieldably to its seat about the port controlled by said valve and to put tension "on said head to hold the latter yieldably in operative relationship with said valve tappet. The head at the end of the stem opposite 1 the valve and accordingly interposed between the valve stem and the valve tappet. is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of relatively adjustable members and an inner clamping means so correlated with each other and with the end of the valve stemthat by merely turning one of said members in one direction relatively to the other and to the clamping means thehead and stem will be tightly locked together, and by turning said member in the opposite direction, the stem will be freed from the head and when thus freed, may be rotated within the head with-- out changing its longitudinal position relatively to the head, since it has no threaded 3O engagement with any element ofthe head and when locked to the head is held entirely by frictional engagement between it and the clamping means. i

It is well understood that internal combusspent gases are expelled. It is also well understood that the valves are opened and closed in a timed relation predetermined by the setting of the relative positions of the cams which operate the valve tappets, respectively. It is further well understood that inall these engines a certain clearanceiispro- -tion engines include a number of port con- V therewith, predetermined to give the best revided between each tappet and the part of the corresponding valve stem which inthe operation of the engine is engaged by said tappet, I

whether said part of the valve stem be integral with said stem, as in a wellaknown make of a popularly priced car, or adj ustably fixed thereto as in the. instant invention.

This clearance is necessary to compensate for the expansion of the valve and its stem caused by the terrific heat to which they are subjected in the operationof the engine. 7 The. extent of the clearance required in certain makes of engines differs from that in other makes and the clearance which has been found to be best by the manufacturer and which he therefore has provided should be retained throughout the entire period of usefulness of the engine. In allthese engines, regrinding f the valves to their seats is necessary at,

more or less frequent intervals and more or less d1fliculty1ncreas1ng the time required and adding to the expense'of thework has been experienced in providing the exact preexisting clearance found to "give the best results, which has been destroyed in the regrinding operation. Moreover, the removal of the valves in prior proposals, which is a V necessary prelimmary to thevregrmdlng operation-and also to the replacement of a badly worn or'warpedvalve-calls for skill and has been attended with difiiculties which has made such work slow and troublesome.

One important purpose of this invention, therefore, is to provide a valve mechanism for internal combustion engines, in which" the labor of freeingthe valve for removal or regrindingto its seat is reduced to a minimum and callsfor no particular skill; and another of its important purposes is to produce avalve mechanlsm 1n which the relative ad- I justment to bring about the particular clean ance between the valve operating tappet or pusher and the part of the valve engagedfl sults, may be readily maintained.

of the valve stem with a means which substantially forms a head at said end'of the stem, to be engaged by the end of the corresponding valve tappet, and which head is protratingthe relative positions of the parts lfreedfrom the head,

vided internally with means which as hereinbefore stated by the mere turning of a member of the head effects the locking of the stem to the head or release of the stem from the head, as the case may be, and have so correlated said head with the stem and with the valve spring that when the stem has been so released from the stem, the valve is free to be entirely removed and to be turned as in reg'rinding without disturbing. the position of any other part of the valve mechanism.

A structural embodiment ot the invention of very advantageous nature, is shown in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter described in detail without, however, thereby intending to restrict the invention to details ofsaid embodiment, since changes in the details may bemade without departing frornthe spirit of the invention defined by appended claims.-

In said drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig; l-is a' view, mainly in section, showing one of the; valve mechanisms ready for onerati on, this view illustratingthe valve in seated position and the clearance between the valve tappet and the part of the valve which in operation is engaged by said tappet;

Fig. 2 is a similar view ona larger scale, of certain of the parts shown in Fig. 1, illuswhen the valve is ready for removal or is being" applled, or reground, its stem having been Fig. 3-is a detail-plan view of the complex mentary lockingelements employed-in said head, showing the same in partiall'y separated condition; 7

Fig 4 is a detail view of one of said ele'- ments, viewed from its inner side and Fig. 5- is aninverted plan view particularly intended to illustrate the'shap-e- 0t the-mem- K ,bers of the head provided between the'valve stem and valve tappet.

A designates a reciprocating valve, proper, and A its stem. This valve, proper, auto matically controls'a port B whichrin' practice may be for either the inlet of thefuel to the combustion chamber of the engineer for'the exhaust of the spent gases from said chamber.

The stem- A i's 'guided in its reciprocations in anyway, a -guide sleeve'C stationarily mounted in the engine block being illustrated as one suitable means for this purpose.

Reciprocation-otthe valve and its stem are efiectedj under control of a cam operated valve lifting tappet D, the valve and stem being under tension of a spring E which acts in opposition to the tappet. F designates the cam which moves the valve from its seat to thereby open the port controlled by said valve. This cam-is mounted on a cam-shaft- Gr, as usual. 7 j

The endof the valve ste n-11A opposite the:

valve A and presented toward the valve tappet is provided with a separately formed head which projects therefrom into operative relationship wit-h the end of said tappet. This head is composed of two relatively adjustable members H, H and a plurality of internal elements H operative under controlofone of said elements to releasably clamp the head to the valve stem, the correlation of the parts being such that when the said elements are not in clamping engagement with the valve stem the latter, and consequently the valve, maybe freely removed from and rotated or oscillated within the head; thereby permitting the valve to be ground to its seat, or repla-cedby another valve, with notlabor other than that involvedin the movement of the clamping element-s out of clamping engagement-with'the valve stem. It will-be noticed that the member'H is in the form of a hollow nut oneof whose end portions isbeveled internally, as shown; at 10, and the other of whose end portions is formed'with' internalv screw threads 11- and with an external flange 12;; The other. member, of the head is. formed with externalscrew threads, as shown at 18, to engage-the threads 11 of the member H, and is also-formed withan internal chamber 14 which-is open at one end to permit the end of the valve stem to project thereinto, the opposite end of this member'being closed and providing a plane surface 15 tobe engaged'by the end of the tappet throughout the entire area ofsaid tappet end; This end of the memberHf is also provided with a flange 15 The flanges 12 and 15- are suitably formed to be engaged by appropriate. tools for conveniencein adj 'usting them relatively toeach other. As here shown, the flanges are of hexagonal shape to receive wrenches-of corresponding form, for the forego ng purposes. v Eaoh clamping element I- includes a bevelediouter wall .16 arranged to engage the a beveledwall'lO of the memberH and with a. roughenedinner wall'17 to engage the surface of; the-valve stem. It will be noticed that these clamping elements complementarily fonm asleevethrough which the end of the valvestem-extends'and which sleeve is adapted tobecontracted-tightly about the end" of said stem,- thereby to clamp the stem tothe head, by partially rotating the lnember Hin provide a bearingqforthe latter.

The springf-Eis mountedabout the valve stem A? between-the flange 12 of the member .H and an appropriate part of the engine, as

a flange l9"projecting'froni the guide sleeve for example-.- 1 r It will be noticed that the lower end of the valve stem passes loosely through the opening at the mouth of themember H andalso loosely through the washer 18 and into the chamber 14. In other words, it will be noerably provided. in part at least, by reducing the diameter of the end of the stem as shown.

Upon reference to Fig. 1, it will be noticed that when the parts are assembled for'operation the member H has been screwed down upon the member HVand relatively to the clamping elements H into the position in which it has contracted and holds the sleeve formed by said elements tightly against the stem. In this position of the parts the outer end of member H is separated from the end of the valve tappet D only by the space inclicat-ed as being necessary to provide the clearance which produces the best results in the operation of the engine, and the tight engagement of the roughened inner surfaces of the clamping elements with the circumferential surface of the valve stem prevents any accidental separation of the valve stem and head and causes said stem and head to reciprocate unitarily. To destroy this clamped relation between said head and stem it is necessary only to partially rotate the member H in a direction which slackens it relatively to the member H. This operation may be conveniently effected by applying a wrench to the flange 1:2 and turning said wrench, and hence the member H, in the proper direction, while the member H is held stationary. As the result of this operation the clamping sections H are freed from the pressure which was exerted thereon by the beveled wall of the member H (see Fig. 2) sufficiently to release the valve stem and thereby permit said stem to be freely lifted from said head and to be rotated or oscillated within the same as required in the regrinding of the valve or in the operation of replacing a warped or badly worn valve by another.

When the operation of regrinding has been completed, or when a new valveand its stem has been applied in lieu of one which has been discarded, the head is clamped to the stem thereof by turning the member H relatively to the member H in the direction which forces the elements H into tight engagement with the valve stem.

Attention is called to the fact that the correlation of the parts is such that the original clearance between the tappet and the part of the valve stem to be engaged by said tappet may be maintained with absolute assurance if a feeler or thickness gauge of the proper size, (indicated at Y, Fig. 2) be interposed between the end of thevalve tappet and the member: H and retained'there throughout the period between and including the freeing of the valve stem from the head at the beginning of the intended operation and the clamping of the head to the stemat the end of the,

operation. It may-be here mentioned that in another application for Letters Patent of the United States of America, executed by me of even date herewith I have shown, de-

scribed, and claimed a combined wrench and gaugespecially well adapted for use in'holding the member H while the member H is being screwed or unscrewed relatively thereto and at the same time maintaining the pre-" determined clearance between said member and the valve tappet.

Mention should be made of the fact that each of the clamping elements H which conjointly form a sleeve by which the head is,

locked to the stem by friction is formed of hardened steel and accordingly the roughness or knurled surface is produced in these elements instead of upon'the valve stem, which is usually of a much softer material. If the stem, however, were of a material as hard or harder than that of the said elements H,

it would be a matter of indifference as to which of the surfaces were roughened or lmurledsince the purpose of this is to increase the frictional grip of said elements upon the stem. It will clearly be understood that ifthese elements have a screw-threaded i engagement with the stem, the beneficial results whichare the result of the particular combination and correlation of the parts shown in this application would not begained, or at any rate, would be materiallylessened. 7 7

Having now described the preferred embodiment of the invention, what I believe to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. A valve mechanism for an internal com bustion engine, including a reciprocatory valve stem provided at one end with a valve and having its other end of non-threaded construction, and a. tappet engaging head having a lockingmeans movable into tight engagement with said non-threaded end of the stem and when so engaged frictionally attaching the stemand head together for unitary reciprocatory movement, said means being also movable relatively to said stem to release. the latter from the head, the stem when thus released being freeto be moved longitudinally bodily, and also rotatively Without corresponding longitudinal movement, of the head, the head also having av member operative to attach said locking means to and stem.

detach the same from, said inn 1..

2. A valve mechanism for an internal coinbustion engine, including a reciprocatory valve stem provided at one end with a valve and whose other end is provided with a head 1 including relatively adjustable members one I of said stem by movement of said member.

3. A valve mechanism for an internal coinbustion engine, including a reciprocatory valve stem provided atone end with a'valve and atits other eno with a head, said head including a pair of members one of which is arranged to be engaged by a valve tappet and is formed with an internal chamber to receive :the end of the stem, the other of said members having an opening through which the V stem extends, said members having'screw threaded engagement with eachother, and a separately formed locking means inounted in one ofsaid members about the port-ion of the stem therein, said locking means and the member in which it is mounted having corre spondingly beveled surfaces in contact with each other to cause said locking means to be pressed into locking fictional engagemem with the valve stem by screwing the member in one direction and to remove said pressure by screwing saidmember in the other direction.

'4. A valve mechanism according to claim 2, in which the locking means mounted in one of said membersis formed of a plurality of members arranged conjointly to form a sleeve and whose inner surfaces are roughened or knurled to increase their grip upon the Valve stein when adjusted into their locking relation therewith.

5 A valve mechanism for an internal combustion engine, including a reciprocatory valve stem provided at one end with a valve and at its other end with a head, said head including a pair of members one of which is arranged to be engaged by a valve tappet, said members having screw threaded engage-- ment with each other and provided with sections shaped to be engaged by wrenches, a locking means mounted in" one of said members about the valve stem, said locking means and memberhaving contacting beveled SUI-- faces to cause the locking means to bepressed into frictional locking engagement with the said stem by longitudinal movement of the member relatively to said means, and a tensioning spring engaging the head. 7 6. A valve mechanism according to claim a plurality of members arranged conjointly to form a sleeve andwhose inner surfaces are roughened or knurled to increase their grip upon the valve stem when adjusted into their locking relation therewith.

7. A valve mechanism for an internal combustion engine, including a valve tappet, a spring tensioned tappet-engaging head and avalve stem provided with a valve at one end and having its other end extending loosely into said head, the head comprising two complementary members having a screw threaded engagement one withthe other and each provided with an external section to be engaged by a wrench, one of said members being arranged to be engaged by the tappet and the other provided internally with a means to lock the head and valve stem together by friction, the last named member and locking means having beveled surfaces in frictional contact with each other.

8. A valve mechanism according to claim 7 in which the locking means is composed of a plurality of longitudinally separated sections which conjointly form a sleeve through which the valve stem extends and said sleeve is internally roughened or knurled to increase its frictional grip on the stem whenadjusted into a locking relation with the stem. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

JOSEPH e. scnorrnonrnn.

5 in which the locking means is formedof a 

